Men’s Health: Top Priorities for Virility, Energy and Prostate Health

This blog post is a first in a two-part series on Men’s Health. Enjoy this post and look for the next one later this month…

Attention Men – this is not your ordinary Men’s Health blog. I am not going to tell you to stop popping wheelies on your motorcycle because you might crash, or to stop partying like its 1999 because it might give you a heart attack. Those are realities that you are already aware of, so there isn’t a point in me harping on it.

On the other hand, there are certain health challenges that universally affect men’s health as they age, even the most macho amongst us (yes, even the Old Spice Guy). And ironically, these challenges are actually taking a direct toll on our ‘machoness’. In an effort to preserve our manhood, it is worth discussing these key challenges: virility, energy, and well, our precious prostate! Specifically, I’d like to mention natural supplements that can help you mitigate these challenges.

Prostate Health

Discussing prostate cancer would be futile if I didn’t ensure that everyone reading knows what the prostate does, so forgive me if this seems unnecessary. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located just beneath the bladder, and is regulated by testosteronehormone. Its duty is to produce the seminal fluid that carries sperm. An estimated 241,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2012, and 28,000 lives will fall victim to the cancer. Men of all races are at risk, especially if aged 50 or over.

Preventative measures can be taken to improve prostate health. The following natural supplements have shown promising results:

Lycopene – An active ingredient in tomato based products and several fruits, lycopene has been shown to reduce testosterone’s stimulatory effect on prostate cancer (PC) cells, causing them to grow at a slower rate. Luckily cooking doesn’t destroy lycopene, so pizza sauce may be as useful as fresh tomatoes. Learn more about Lycopene.

Lycopene!

Green Tea – Green tea is known to optimize prostate health by inhibiting the growth hormones that cause prostate cancer (PC) cells to grow. In one study, a group of 32 men at high risk for PC were administered green tea for 1 year, while a control group of 30 high PC risk men were not. At the end, only 1 of 32 men in the Green Tea group got prostate cancer, while 9 of 30 in the non-Green tea group got prostate cancer. Find out more about Green Tea.

Genistein – Found in soybeans and tofu, Genistein has been shown to arrest continued PC-cell proliferation. More info on Genistein.

Virility

Aspiring for ever lasting virility is a rosy way of talking about fighting off impotence & infertility, so that’s how I’ll refer to this challenge. Most of us will be surprised to learn how frequent infertility is amongst men – about 15% of couples suffer from infertility when attempting their first pregnancy. Infertility is related to deficiencies in sperm quality about 40% of the time.

Luckily, there are several supplements that can help you sustain virility and sexual potency longer into your life:

L-carnitine – Several studies have reported the benefit of L-carnitine, an amino acid, on sperm concentration, count, motility, and speed. In other words, it just might be steroids for sperm. Learn more about carnitine.

Selenium – Found in foods like Brazil nuts, brown rice, walnuts, and whole wheat bread, Selenium can help sperm motility. Learn more about selenium.

Vitamin C – Accessible at any grocery store, Vitamin C can have a profound effect on sperm count and motility. Learn more about Vitamin C.

Energy

With our suffering economy, men are being asked to work longer hours with more efficiency, and are being forced to push retirement further back. Unfortunately as we get older, our energy levels start to dwindle. With that, demand for caffeine-filled products have been in increasing demand. However, caffeine often proves to be an ephemeral energy source, and leaves us only more burnt out. Fortunately, there are a variety of natural supplements that can help men boost their energy.

L-carnitine- This substance is a one stop shop for men’s health. The primary role of L-carnitine is to help the body turn fat into energy, so along with helping virility, this miraculous substance can help sustain energy levels.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) – Found in nuts, eggs, avocados and supplements like fish-oil tablets, EFA’s have been shown to increase cognitive function. In one study, a group of around 30 people were given fish oil daily, and after three months the group reported significant improvement in fatigue symptoms when compared to the placebo group! Learn more about EFA’s.

Have any other tips for optimizing virility, energy, prostate health, or men’s health in general? Share your experiences!